Blister Repairs 2015 Session

Removing Pilgrim’s remaining bottom paint revealed 38 previously undiscovered blisters.  Unlike last summer’s blister & hull damage repairs (photo album – Hull Damage & Blister Repairs 2014), the blisters discovered recently are not linked to ill fitted or ill tabbed internal structures exerting focused pressure on the hull.  Nor did any of them lead to delamination or areas of cloth lacking resin. 

With the bottom paint gone, tiny seams or pock marks in the hull provided the evidence of an issue.  Following the evidence with a grinder typically lead to a void a short distance into the outer copped strand mat layer. None of the blisters were wet, but Pilgrim has been on the hard for nearly 18 months so this was not surprising.  Generally the blisters were minor… smaller than the palm of my hand and penetrating only into the outer layer of mat.

Two notable exceptions were along the port keel.  These areas were larger in size and the damage extended to the outer layer of woven cloth.

Two large blisters on port keel.

These two may be linked to hull stresses as they are located along the transition from solid lead ballast to the hollow section of the keel.

While no area of the hull was completely blister free, the starboard hull had a line of blisters extending from the cockpit area to around mid-salon area and just below the waterline.

Line of blisters along starboard hull just below the waterline.

12 of the 38 blisters were deep enough to require additional mat for repairs. I developed a fancy system for identifying which areas required glass matt and which simply needed filler.

Group of three blisters on the starboard waterline

I’ll bet the readers of this blog are savvy enough to figure out my system from a single photograph.

Our system for repairing the blisters followed the same steps we used last year.

Cutting 1708 cloth for blister repairs.

Apply one or more layers of 1708 cloth to hull

Ready for the grinder.

After curing – wash, rinse, grind with 36 grit disc, wipe down with acetone.  Then fill the area epoxy thickened with a combination of milled fibers & cabosil.  Areas not requiring fiberglass cloth (see blister in center of image above) start the repair process with an application of thickened epoxy.

Ready for sander.

After curing – wash, rinse, sand with 80 grid paper in orbital sander, wipe down with acetone.  Apply first application of epoxy thickened with fairing filler.

Ready for hand sanding.

After curing – wash, rinse, sand lightly with 80 grid paper in orbital sander, hand sand with 80 grit paper on large block, and wipe down with acetone.  Second application of epoxy thickened with fairing filler.

After curing – wash, rinse, hand sand with 80 grit paper on large block, wipe down with acetone.

Ready for barrier coat  :-)

While sanding fairing I developed a second, highly evolved system of identifying the areas completed.  Once again I’m assuming readers of this blog can deduce my system from a single photograph.

The next step, yet uncompleted, will be to overcoat the entire hull with 5 to 7 coats of barrier coat.

For more images and notes from this project check out our Bottom Job Photo Album.

No back to that lingering Ice Box Rebuild.

Bottom Paint Removal

In fall 2004, my initiation into boat ownership began by sanding bottom paint off a Cape Dory Typhoon.

Fall 2004 - backyard bottom job on 2nd Chance. 

Blisters filled and bottom paint gone... time for some barrier coat.

She made the road trip to FL in a fresh application of barrier coat.

Since then I have spent many days driving orbital sanders and disk grinders in pursuit of a bare hull.  Determined there must be a better way…  I researched chemical strippers.  These all appeared fraught with a new realm of mess and hazards.  Soda or sandblasting appears to be a good alternative, but hiring out the job ran against my DIY grain.  I could find no one was willing to load out the extensive and expensive blasting machines. 

A friend of ours in Beaufort with decades more boat experience than I suggested using a very sharp chisel or scraper (Thanks TD).  I recalled a recent Practical Sailor Article (“Digging Into Bottom Paint Removal” March 2014) that also favored using a very sharp scraping device.

With nothing to lose, I collected an assortment of impliments. After some experimentation with chisels, putty knives, paint scrapers, etc.  I found my weapon of choice to be a stiff, 3” wide scraper with a 20⁰ angle in the blade.

Permanently stained bottom paint blue from the task. 

The model I settled on was purchased from Lowes Hardware.  The business end must be sharpened to a knife-like edge and this edge maintained frequently during the removal process.  I set up a sharpening station with a bench grinder and whetstone just outside the tented hull.  A little time behind the scraper and it will be obvious when the tool begins to lose its edge.

The layers of bottom paint come off the hull in large (pea to dime size on Pilgrim) flakes rather than the fine dust generated by sanding or grinding.  Care must be taken to avoid gouging into the substrate below the bottom paint.  

Working in approximately four foot wide strips vertically along the hull, I used the blade to remove the bulk of the bottom paint.  I then revisited the area with 80 grit paper on an orbital sander.

I am a convert to the use of a scraper for removing bottom paint.

Tinted blue and sweating despite the comfortable March temps. 

It took me eight hours split over two days to remove the remaining bottom paint from Pilgrim’s hull.  The job is still a messy, taxing affair that requires every effort to avoid contact with bottom paint.  I don disposable coveralls, a cotton balaclava, a 3M full face mask with particle filters, and heavy duty rubber gloves for the job. 

Looking down the exposed hull.

I am pleased the task of removing Pilgrim’s bottom paint is complete.  We can now move forward with repairing 38 newly uncovered blisters… to be continued.

For more images and notes from this project check out our Bottom Job Photo Album.

Preparations for Removing Pilgrim’s Bottom Paint

In summer of 2014 we repaired a couple areas of delamination and numerous blisters below the waterline on Pilgrim's hull. The damage addressed was discovered via a thorough visual inspection by Anne & I. Our efforts from last summer are documented in earlier blog posts and in our Hull Damage & Blister Repairs Photo Album.

Based on our findings from the summer 2014 repairs, and the fact that approximately 1/3 of the hull’s bottom paint was removed during the repairs. We decided to go all the way and give Pilgrim a full bottom job. For readers unfamiliar with nautical lingo: No, a bottom job has nothing to do with a proctologist. A bottom job for fiberglass, sea going sailing vessel consists of…

1. Removing all existing layers of anti-fouling (bottom) paint. 
2. Repairing any hull damage, water intrusion, or blisters discovered on the exposed hull. 
3. Applying a barrier coat. Barrier coat is a thick, multi-layer application of epoxy primer designed to prohibit water from reaching the fiberglass hull. 
4. Applying new bottom paint. Bottom paint, also referred to as anti-fouling paint, inhibits the buildup of marine growth on the hull. 

Toward the conclusion of summer 2014 hull repairs the boat yard informed us that any further bottom paint removal would require tenting the hull. On January 18, 2015, while Pilgrim was lifted for the removal of her rudder; I placed a roll of 6 mil plastic under the blocks that support her keel. The plastic sheeting sat idle as we waited for winter to loosen her grasp on the southeast. Finally on March 6th, buoyed by warmer weather and inspired by forecast that promised little wind and no precipitation, I spread out the plastic beneath Pilgrim.

Rolling out 6 mil plastic sheeting under Pilgrim.

To reduce the weight of the tent walls and to save money I purchased 4 mil plastic sheeting for the side walls. The top edge of the side walls were spot taped to the hull using 3M 8979 Performance Plus duct tape. The 3M 8979 tape far exceeds the holding power of standard, masking style painters tape, but will pull cleanly away if removed within a few months. The tape is also UV stable.

Once an entire side wall was held in place with short sections of the duct tape, I sealed off the top edge with a full length run of 2” painter’s masking tape.

The lower edge of the tent wall was then stretched out to meet the outer edge of the 6 mil sheeting on the ground. I then placed a piece of lumber, typically a 8' long 2” X 4” atop the two layers of sheeting and rolled the entire assembly towards the hull. If additional weight was required to hold the wall away from the hull then I placed additional scrap lumber atop the roll.

Pilgrim with a plastic skirt.

To prevent pressure differentials, typically caused by breezes, from exerting too much force on the tent and to allow for some fresh air flow within the tent I installed vents. 

Standard household A/C filter employed as a vent in the tent wall.

The vents are standard household air-conditioning filters taped over holes in the tent side walls.    Three of vents were installed on various sides of the tent.

Two vents at the bow.

Starboard side, mid-ship I cut a hole, approximately 36” tall by 18” wide, for egress. 

Door cut in  tent along starboard, mid-ships.

The corners of the hole were re-enforced the duct tape. Then a flap was taped over the hole.

Corners of access opening re-enforced with duct tape and a flap taped over opening.

Working solo, tenting Pilgrim took about 8 hours spread over two days.  The time was fairly evenly split between rolling out the floor plastic under all the jack stands and constructing the side walls.  Choosing a day(s) with little wind saved a great deal of time and frustration.

Tent complete.  Ready to start the dirty job of bottom paint removal.

After lunch on day 2 it was time to suit up and begin the dirty work.

For more images and notes from this project check out our Bottom Job Photo Album.

Ice Box Interior Panels

Ice box insulation completed on four out of five sides.

Final insulation tally…

• Top: 4” of insulation.
• Forward and mid-ship: 4.5” of insulation - 4 layers of 1” foam board and 2 layers of ¼” Reflectix.
• Floor: 5.25” to 6.25” of insulation – Above the waterline the M382 hull is cored.  The hull thickness increases by nearly 1” where the coring is present.  Below the waterline the ice box is insulated by 6 layers or foam board and on layer of Reflectix.  Above the waterline the insulation is reduced by one layer of foam.  Hopefully the foam core material will offer some additional insulation.  Note:  3.25” of insulation exists atop the conduit under the ice box.
• Aft wall: to be determined.  Once the interior work on the ice box is complete then the insulation in the aft wall will be installed.  It will receive a minimum of 4.5” of insulation.

Since the area of the fore and aft walls of the ice box have reduced in size, we are able to reuse the original material.  Despite more than doubling the insulation thickness, the interior width of the ice box increased by over an inch.  This slight of hand is due to the new insulation along the aft wall extending into the cockpit locker.  New FRP will be used for the floor and mid-ship vertical wall panels.

Test fitting the forward and mid-ship ice box panels.

The Alder-Barbour evaporator box will likely be mounted on the mid-ship, vertical wall.  To provide a more robust mounting surface we decided to laminate ¼” plywood on the back side of the FRP.

Sections of 1/4" plywood and FRP prepped for epoxy.

Cement blocks and a bit of heat to aid in the curing process.

The original fore and aft walls were littered with old screw holes the required filling.

Drilling out screw holes in original panels.  Note newly laminated mid-ship panel on left.

First the holes were drilled out.  Next the area around the holes was abraded to provide an appropriate surface for applying fairing. Prior to filling the holes the back side was sealed with duct tape.

Sealing the backside of all the holes with duct tape.

Using a syringe to avoid bubbles, the holes in the panels were filled with thickened epoxy.  Once the epoxy in the hole began to kick fairing filler was applied on the surface.

Top: 1/4" plywood backing on mid-ship panel coated with epoxy to seal the wood.
Bottom: Fairing added atop hole repairs in original fore and aft panels.

After 24 hours of curing, the repairs were sanded down using a orbital sander and 80 grit paper.

All holes in original panels filled and faired.  After installation is complete these panels will be repainted.

During this process, I also laminated ½” plywood to the backside of the aft panel.  The plywood stiffens 1/8" fiberglass panel.  I believe laminating the aft wall will make the final assembly easier.

More images and notes from this on-going project as available in the Ice Box Rebuild Photo Album. 

The Long Wait For FRP Is Over

The Long Wait For FRP Is Over

Our ice box rebuild has been stall while we searched for a 48” X 48” X 1/8” piece of Fiberglass Reinforced Panel (FRP).  The 1/8” thick FRP will be used for the inside walls of the new ice box.   Avoiding seams in the floor of the ice box required the material to be at least 48” X 24”. The material is available from McMaster-Carr, but shipping on a piece over 36” required motor freight delivery.  We deemed the shipping cost prohibitive ($60 dollars in shipping for $110 worth of material.) So began our search for an appropriate piece of material in the boat yard or someone placing a large order that we could piggy-back upon.

Finally after nearly a month of searching and inquiries, RW came through with piece he had buried away in a shipping container.

1/8" Fiberglass Reinforced Panel (FRP)

Thanks to RW the ice box rebuild is back on track.

We will be able to reuse the original fore and aft ice box walls.  The largest two pieces remaining are the curved floor and the vertical wall adjacent to the companionway. 

Using the floor sections of the 1” foam insulation as a template made laying out the piece an easy task.

Using the outermost layer of foam as a template for the floor.

The assorted lumber on top is merely dead weight to prevent the foam from taking flight on a windy afternoon.  This method worked well and I replicated the technique for the vertical side wall.

 

Floor Panel (Top) &  Side Wall Panel (Bottom)

Once the two pieces were marked out on the FRP, I used a jigsaw with a Bosch T341HM1 blade to cut out the sections. 

With the larger sections out of the way, I then focused on prioritizing the order in which the side walls need to be installed in the ice box.  I plan to use a ¾” wide strip of exposed wood just below the level of the counter top as an anchor point for the side walls.  The wood strip runs the entire perimeter of the ice box opening.  

From the FRP, I cut sections that will fit along the outside (port) and forward walls.  The faces of these pieces were abraded with a grinder. The abrasion will provide some tooth to which the epoxy can bond.  The two pieces were then epoxied to the 3/4" strip in the ice box.

Installing the first two pieces of the interior ice box walls.

Unable to find a good method of clamping the outside piece in place, I used a couple temporary #8 wood screws.  Once the epoxy is set these will be removed and the holes filled.  This piece will be visible in the completed ice box. 

The foreword piece was easy to clamp in position.  This 2” piece simply serves as an anchor to which the larger wall section will be attached.

Feels good to be making progress on the ice box once again.   Other images and notes from our ice box rebuild are available in our -  Ice Box Rebuild Photo Album.

Despite our silence over the past month we have not been idle.  We are making good progress on full bottom job for Pilgrim (stripping all bottom paint, repairing blisters, fairing the hull, and barrier coat.)  I’ll post more on that project in the near future.

Practice Makes Perfect

The ice box project continues to progress.    My foam shaping abilities are improving and my pace is increasing.  While not yet perfect, practice is paying off.

Two layers of 1" foam board on the ice box walls.

Thus far we are still using re-claimed foam board, but the well is beginning to run dry.

As I completed the second layer of 1” foam board on the forward and mid-ship walls the new insulation lie just inside the fiberglass lip left over from the original ice box construction.

New foam insulation meets the  fiberglass lip left from the old ice box.

I elected to install another round of Reflectix to bring the new insulation flush with the fiberglass lip.

Another layer of Reflectix brought the new insulation nearly flush with the inside of the original ice box.

Along the hull, I continue to use smaller panels of foam board in an attempt to maintain the curve of the hull.  Foil tape covers the butt joints between the pieces of foam board.

Progress along the hull - foam is now 3" thick.

I have also run a ½” id hose for the ice box drain.  The hose will lead to a “T” valve in the galley. The valve will allow us to use one foot pump to either drain the ice box into the sink or pump salt water into the sink. We had the same set up on C’est la Vie and were very pleased with the system.

We are planning to go install 4” to 5” of foam so there is more foam to cut…

More images and notes from this on-going project as available in the Ice Box Rebuild Photo Album.

Foam Board Insulation for the Ice Box

Salvaged 1" Dow Styrofoam Insulation Board adorning Pilgrim's salon. 

Fortunately for us a 60 something foot sailing vessel in the yard is shedding large quantities of 1” Dow Styrofoam Scoreboard.  The vessel is undergoing a full cabin refit and the foam board was used to mock up the interior.  We are collecting the useful scrape pieces for Pilgrim’s ice box refit.

We hope to re-use the fiberglass interior panels from the original ice box.  Since the original bottom panel roughly followed the curve of the hull and our free insulation consists of many small sections, I am using 4” to 6” wide panels to insulate the bottom of the box.

First layer of foam board along the hull.

Once a layer is complete, I apply foil tape across all the seams.  On the next layer I will the seams.  I am also alternating layers on the hull and the vertical side walls to create a staggered joint at the corners.

First layer of foam along the wall.

The graffiti on the insulation in the image above are my notes for shaping the insulation along the curve of the hull.  I penned a vertical line down from the underside of the counter top to the hull.  I then marked of 2” increments along the vertical line.  At each two inch mark I measured the horizontal distance from the vertical line to the hull.   Using a sharpie pen, tape measure, framing square, and a  4’ straight edge, I plotted the measurements on a section of foam board.

Then connected the dots.

And cut along the line.

The curve matched the hull well, but the overall width of the piece of foam was about 3/8” too narrow.

I mounted the insulation with the gap along the hull.  This area will be buried by the next layer of insulation along the hull. 

While measuring for the next layer of foam, I realized the origin of the error on the previous piece.  I was using a ½” wide folding rule to capture the horizontal measurements.  Rather the hold the rule flat against the vertical wall I was measuring with wide plane of the rule at a right angle to the wall.  Thus my measurements from the line to the hull were made ½” aft from the point where the wall meets the hull. Well I’ve got many more layers on which to perfect my technique.

On to the next layer.

More images and notes from this on-going project as available in the Ice Box Rebuild Photo Album. 

Rudder Removal

Last week finally provided a warm, clear day to crank up the travel lift and elevate Pilgrim enough to remove her rudder.

The rope securing the rudder in place prior to lifting the boat.

Prior to removing the rudder packing nut and gudgeon, I supported the rudder atop a stack of wood.  With the nut and gudgeon gone the unknown mass of rudder rested solely atop the wood below.  Rather that attempt to guide the post out as the boat was lifted; I ran a 5/8” dock line under the rudder, over the deck and back down to the opposite side of the rudder.   Using a trucker’s hitch, I tensioned the rope.

As the travel lift elevated Pilgrim the rope held in position relative to the boat.  We elevated the boat to a point where the rudder was approximately 6” above stack of blocks.  The blocks were then removed.   Slack was slowly fed through the trucker’s hitch.  The slid easily free of the hull.  Success.

To my surprise, I was able to pick up the rudder and carry it to a pallet alongside the engine.

The rudder resting on a pallet alongside the engine.

I found the rudder more awkwardness of the rudder more challenging than the sheer weight. I’m not good at guessing weight, but the rudder is less than 100 lbs.  Hopefully I will be able to weight it before and after the modifications. 

Fortunately the procedure revealed no surprises – you never know what you are going to find.

Aft side of the skeg.  No surprises here. 

The inside radius of the skeg and the area around the gudgeon cut out need to be cleaned up.  With the rudder out of the way we may go ahead and replace the cutlass bearing.  We have come this far and Pilgrim needs a new prop shaft.  So a new cutlass bearing is likely in the future.

While Pilgrim was elevated, we inserted plastic sheeting under the blocks (visible in the image above.)  The plastic sheeting is foreshadowing of the dreaded anti-fouling paint removal.   Last summer’s hull repairs and thru-hull replacement necessitated removing bottom paint from approximately 1/3 of the hull.  The yard requested that we lay down plastic sheeting and tent around the boat before removing the rest of the bottom paint.  This is a reasonable request as the anti-fouling paint is noxious to bystanders, can foul surrounding boats, and is toxic if it leaches into the ground water.  

We will likely tackle the bottom paint in the near future.  Better to suit up in all the protective gear during the cool winter months than to sweat it out in the summer.

Reflectix Insulation the Outer Perimeter of Ice Box Insulation.

 Many “experts” suggest adding a reflective barrier to the outermost layer of ice box insulation will increase the efficiency by reducing radiant heat loss.  Hmm.  Not certain I’m completely sold on the science behind the theory, but who am I to question the experts?

 For under $50, I purchased a 24” X 25’ roll of Reflectix Insulation, roll of 3M Foil Tape, and a can of 3M Super77  spray glue.

Tools and materials for installing the Reflectix Insulation.

I’ve heard of the Reflectix insulation from other boaters who have used it in ice box construction, insulation between the deck and headliner,  insulation on the inside of the hull, and sun screens for ports and hatches.    Think of it as bubble wrap with a reflective coating on both sides.  It cuts easily with scissors or a utility knife.  It is light weight and adheres easily to vertical surfaces with the spray glue.

NOTE: Definitely wear a respirator when using spray glue.  I hate to imagine what that stuff would do if inhaled into a person’s respiratory track.

Installing Reflectix Insulation as the outermost barrier in the ice box.

The 24” wide roll worked well for the interior of the ice box.  If I were to use it for insulation in the cabin top under the headliner (which I am considering), then I think the 36” or 48” width may be more appropriate.

Looking into the ice box opening from the galley.

Lining the interior of the ice box with the reflectix took about 2 to 3 hours.  Once all the surfaces were covered,  I sealed the joints and corners with the foil tape to create a tight seal.  Using the foil tape to seal the corners was definitely the most frustrating component of the install.  I feel that sealing the corners and seams is worth the effort in the ice box, but I do not believe it is worth the time and effort in the headliner.

Next up for the ice box rebuild will be the 1" foam board insulation.

More images and notes from this on-going project as available in the Ice Box Rebuild Photo Album.